Saint Louis Missouri Inundated By Rampant Animal Abuse Epidemic

ST. LOUIS, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — With rampant, unchecked animal abuse occurring on a daily basis, Saint Louis City has a dark cloud hanging over it that largely remains a secret to the rest of the nation. In a state notorious for puppy mills and lax animal abuse laws, St. Louis continues to stand out among other major metropolitan cities for their unwillingness to dedicate any resources of consequence to combat the rising animal abuse epidemic that plagues the area. Stray Rescue of St. Louis, a companion animal rescue and shelter nonprofit that has been featured on networks like CNN, National Geographic and Animal Planet, arrived at a vacant city house littered with gang graffiti on Tuesday, May 15 to find five dogs savagely tortured and killed.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120516/DC08614) “I have seen a lot of horrific abuse in the decades I have been rescuing dogs, but I haven’t seen anything this barbaric,” said Randy Grim, Founder of Stray Rescue. “It was like a scene from the most shocking horror film, and it will stay with me forever. These dogs truly went through hell.”In the house, rescuers found chains and electrical cords used to restrain and strangle dogs. They found skeletal remains of a dog that had been choked to death, and a trail of dried blood that led to an area where a dog was burned – more than likely alive. Furniture was stacked upon more furniture over the body of another dog that had also been strangled with a cable cord.The lifeless body of a dog seen through an upstairs window was draped over the windowsill. X-rays, taken by Stray Rescue’s veterinary staff as part of a necropsy report, revealed severe trauma to the larynx. The vet staff believes that this was caused by the abusers positioning the dog on the windowsill and slamming the window down upon him repeatedly, crushing his larynx and killing him. One witness in the area, who wishes to remain anonymous because they are afraid of the gang who committed the abuse, reported a sixth dog who was lynched, having been hung out of a window. This dog has not been recovered.“It’s terrifying to know that people who are capable of such abuse are running free in our neighborhoods right this moment, and it’s chilling to not know who their next victim will be,” said Grim. “Stray Rescue is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the conviction of these abusers.”

The correlation between animal abuse and violent crime is well documented, and Stray Rescue has been building abuse cases for the city’s Circuit Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The police have been largely unsympathetic to the situation and unresponsive to assisting in the arrests of these dangerous criminals. In fact, St. Louis is one of the few major cities with no dedicated police officers assigned to such cases, and city officials rely heavily on the nonprofit to humanely remove dogs from the streets. In July of 2011, Agent Richie Raheb of the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement Division and star of Animal Planet’s “Animal Precinct” accompanied Grim for a day of rescuing and promptly stated that the areas in St. Louis “were the worst he had ever scene.”Stray Rescue deals with abuse cases in the city daily and is currently working to build a comprehensive case in order to seek arrest for the individual(s) who committed these gruesome crimes. To honor the deceased dogs that likely never knew anything but terror, Stray Rescue gave them names before having their remains cremated together: Brandy, Schnapps, Frangelico, Grand Marnier, and B&B.People can help by reading about this abuse story online and then contacting St. Louis Mayor’s Office, the Police Chief Isom, and other St. Louis Officials and express their outrage at this horrific abuse.

About Stray Rescue of St. LouisStray Rescue’s mission is to lead the way towards making St. Louis a compassionate city where every companion animal knows health, comfort, and affection, and no stray is euthanized merely because he or she has been abandoned, abused, or neglected. As part of our mission, Stray Rescue is out on the streets daily taking a progressive, proactive approach to establishing a permanent resolution to the stray companion animal problem through dedicated rescue efforts, sheltering, community outreach programs, education, collaborations, and the encouragement of responsible pet guardianship.Contact: Randy Grim, 314.267.0704, randy@strayrescue.orgJason Schipkowski, 314.740.5224, jason@strayrescue.org

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden said recently that the states’ attorneys general need to make it clear that the recent $25 billion settlement with five major banks is the beginning not the end of their enforcement actions. Biden, speaking on MSNBC’s Morning Joe said the savings and loan crisis cost the economy $168 billion and 1,000 people went to jail. “This crisis, which was man made,” he said, “cost the economy trillions and I can’t really find anyone who has been held accountable.”

Show co-host Willie Geist asked Biden who he was focusing on, who did he think should be in jail? Biden said one area he, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and others are looking at is the securitization aspect, “whether or not there were false securities, mortgage-backed securities, sold to investors. That affects borrowers as well.”

He noted that Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster recently indicted DOCX and its CEO Lorraine Brown. This is relevant, Biden said, because this woman has become famous, on 60 Minutes and so forth, because she signed thousands upon thousands of foreclosure affidavits. “Chris Costner indicted her for forgery. That’s the kinds of thing we need to begin to do.” He said that investigations need to go beyond robo-signing and that people must be held accountable. “People are angry,” he said. “Republicans, Democrats, Tea Partiers and 99 Percenters are all angry that no one has been held accountable for something they know is obviously fraught. And that’s my job as AG.”

Jeff is the founder of the Foreclosure Defense Nationwide (FDN) website and blog. His law practice is primarily oriented towards defense of foreclosure actions throughout the United States, with his Firm having represented victims of foreclosure and predatory lending practices with local counsel where required in the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Jeff has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1988 and is also a member of the Colorado Bar, first admitted in 1990. Before concentrating full-time on foreclosure defense, he had been previously admitted to practice in several state courts, including the Superior Court for the State of New Jersey (Atlantic City); the Hennepin County Circuit Court (Minnesota); the Norfolk Superior Court (Commonwealth of Massachusetts); the Circuit Civil Court of Walker County, Alabama; and the Superior Court for the State of California (Orange County).

He is also admitted to several Federal Courts, including the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits. Jeff has been previously admitted to practice pro hac vice in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (Duluth); the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Newark); the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming; and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California (San Jose Division), and is currently admitted pro hac vice to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (Eastern Division); the United States District Court for the District of Oregon (Portland Division); the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington; and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (Nashville Division).

Jeff has been admitted pro hac vice to the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division (numerous counties, including Atlantic, Ocean, Monmouth, Morris, Glouster, Burlington, and Passaic); the Superior Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Plymouth); the Superior Court for Flathead County (Montana); the Superior Court of Coweta County (Georgia); the Superior Court of Washington (Ferry County); the District Court for Kootenai and Bonner Counties (Idaho); Hancock County Superior Court (Indiana); Iowa District Court (Greene County); Kern County Superior Court (California); San Bernadino County Superior Court (California); Washetenaw County (Michigan); Mahoning County (Ohio); Maricopa County Superior Court (Arizona); Pima County Superior Court (Arizona); the Hawaii First District Court (Honolulu); the Hawaii Second District Court (Maui); the Kenosha County Court (Wisconsin); The Superior Court for Washington County, Vermont; the Circuit Courts of Oregon (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Crook Counties); and the Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Circuit (Winnebago County, Illinois); all such admissions and applications being in connection with foreclosure defense litigation representing borrowers. Mr. Barnes does not represent any banks, “lenders”, servicers, trustees of securitized mortgage loan trusts, trustee sale companies, or any others who seek to foreclose.

Jeff has spent over twenty-two years litigating throughout the United States in the areas of business tort litigation, contract litigation, insurance litigation (coverage, claims, premium fraud defense, and Unfair and Deceptive Insurance Practices), fraud litigation, real estate litigation, and Administrative proceedings involving defense of chiropractors in disciplinary proceedings, and appeals in deportation proceedings following the enactment of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act. His practice includes both trials (jury and non-jury) and appeals at both the state and Federal level, and opposing Proofs of Claim and Stay relief Motions in Bankruptcy proceedings involving foreclosure issues. Jeff has also been a Certified Mediator and Arbitrator certified by the Supreme Court of Florida, and also previously obtained status as a Qualified Neutral in the State of Minnesota.

After graduating from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with a degree in Experimental Psychology, Jeff obtained a Master of Science degree in Education and his Juris Doctor (law) degrees from the University of Miami (Florida). Between graduation from college and prior to law school, Jeff was a public and private school teacher in Miami, Florida, having taught elementary, junior, and senior high students, as well as serving as an assistant adjunct professor at Florida International University in the areas of Behavioral Science Statistics and Preventive Law to Master’s and Doctoral candidates. While in law school, Jeff served as a prosecutor in the Office of the State Attorney in Miami, Florida during law school.

FDN handles foreclosure defense matters in both judicial and non-judicial (trustee) jurisdictions and is affiliated with securitized trust auditors and investigators; mortgage loan auditors, certified fraud examiners, and paralegals who conduct a wide-ranging review of mortgage documents to ascertain any violations of Federal lending laws, loan tracking rhrough securitizations, applicable insurances, and other issues. Amortgage loan examination or audit is strongly recommended for anyone seeking to defend a foreclosure action. FDN will provide contact information for an auditor or loan examiner upon request made through our “Contact Us” link.

FDN’s local counsel network currently embraces thirty-nine (39) separate law Firms throughout the United States and continues to grow.

“One of the most important decisions for Borrowers Rights in the history of Hawaii has been made with this decision,” remarked Honolulu attorney Gary Dubin. Honorable Judge J. Michael Seabright of the Hawaii United States District Court, today GRANTED the homeowners’ Motion to Dismiss the case filed against them in federal district court by Plaintiff Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust 2007-NC1 Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-NC1.